Written by Guest Blogger Sarah Roy.
Sarah is a Dietitian from Canada.
She has been living in Tokyo with her husband, two small children and now a new baby for 5 years.
Shimoda is a little slice of tropical paradise 2.5 hours from Tokyo.
Turquoise water and soft, white sand line the coast of the Izu Peninsula at this southern tip of Japan.
When to visit?
You will spot locals riding their bicycles with their surfboards at their sides at all times of the year but I recommend late spring or summer to make the most of your visit.
If you are not hoping to get into the water and plan to drive the coast, you will not be disappointed anytime of the year with the stunning, yet terrifying, views off the cliff side road.
Over the course of 3 trips to Izu, it’s become one of my favourite places in Japan.
When travelling by car…
The first time we visited Izu we went via car, in late March.
The car ride can be fairly long and variable, despite predicted drive-time due to unpredictable traffic (though I heard from families that travel there often that the trick is to leave Tokyo/Shimoda after dinner) so plan some pit stops and car fun for a day of driving during daylight hours just incase.
As bad as the drive may be, if you plan to travel around Izu, going by car is really the only way to make the most of the whole peninsula.
Where we stopped along the way and where we stayed…
We stopped at a great beachside playground in Atami to stretch our legs and let the kids run around.
We then continued to our hotel, Izu Imahama Tokyu Hotel.
This accommodation appeared fairly new and was one of the nicer places we’ve stayed in Japan.
I will add that when we went, it was off-season so the rates were far more reasonable compared to summer months.
We couldn’t swim in the chilly water but the indoor and outdoor onsens were gorgeous and the kids love a Japanese hot bath.
There was also a gorgeous little soft play area for kids though we didn’t spend much time there due to spending our time exploring the peninsula.
Dining out…
The restaurants at this hotel were fully booked (you must book ahead) so we found a small pizza joint a short drive away ( the pizza place is called Papas ) and while the food wasn’t amazing, it was a cozy, welcoming little spot with sumo wrestling playing on the TV. This trip we drove all around the bottom of the Izu peninsula and it was the most terrifying drives (one lane around corners alongside a cliff) but totally worth it. So gorgeous.
When visiting without children…
The second trip to Shimoda I visited with a mummy friend in June and left the kids at home.
When travelling by train…
We travelled by train since we were going to have a relaxing beach vacay and didn’t plan to do much sightseeing.
I talk more about taking the train again with kids below.
Where we stayed …
Our resort of choice this time was the Shimoda Prince Hotel which has its own private beach and is a short walk to Shirahama beach.
Early June, despite the weather being hot, isn’t considered the true summer season yet so we were unable to use any of the beach chairs or umbrellas which the hotel would otherwise provide.
My honest review of this hotel was that it was rundown, smelled damp/musty and at this time of year was unable to meet our needs.
I mention another hotel we have stayed at with kids in this area. See below for more information.
Instead of paying an arm and a leg for Japanese-style breakfast buffet (of which I’ve never acquired a taste for), we chose to eat breakfast from the combini ( a Japanese convenience store) on Shirahama beach. I will give points to the Prince Hotel Beach which would have been really great for kids with the number of rock pools exposed when the tide went out.
For kids this would have been fun, more relaxing for parents vs having to take them into the big waves. The rock pools usually have little fish or crabs etc that kids would enjoy. As a resort, I didn’t love it but the beach was nice.
This is the view from the Prince Hotel
I tried Stand Up Paddleboarding!
During this trip I took a Stand Up Paddle board lesson (which ended up being a tour since I had done it before) with Mariner Surf School with Atsushi San.
It was an amazing workout with gorgeous views!
I highly recommend doing this!
They also offer surf lessons for the whole family. This surf school is right beside Shirahama beach. They also have a small cafe for lunch.
Visiting again with a 2 year old and a 4 year old…
Travelling by Train…
After I scoped out the place sans kids, I decided to head back during the summer holidays on my own with my then two year old and 4 year old.
I took the train from Shinagawa this time (make sure you get one that doesn’t have to change in Atami, I think it’s called the Odoriko Superview) and it only took 2.5 hours from Shinagawa station. It was pretty easy to get a taxi from the Izukyu Shimoda station to White Beach Resort.
Where we stayed…
A friend recommended White Beach Resort which is English speaking (American or Aussie?) and has a pizza oven (sold!!).
White Beach was small and clean and I preferred it over the other places I stayed, especially with the kids.
It’s a no frills type of accommodation but it was perfect for us.
Literally just two beds and a small bathroom in the room, a deck for lounging on the main floor, the restaurant and a nice small beach across the street.
The waves were a little big here so I didn’t go in the water with the kids on my own but there is a little river that the kids played in for hours and the sand is gorgeous.
The hotel provided body boards at no charge. This time of year (mid July) is so hot, it hit 40 degrees so a shade tent, blanket for the sand and beach shoes are a MUST! The sand will burn your feet.
My husband joined us for a couple of days with a car and we spent some time at Shirahama beach, from which it is easy to walk to some small cafes/restaurants and a couple of combinis (Japanese convenience stores.) Google “explore my area” is a saviour for me when looking for restaurants in Japan and it will point you to some good ones. At one point we ended up in a small cafe where some surfer guys cooked up the food without their shirts on, and while I was a little worried for them around the frier, the food was decent and the beers were cold.
Travelling back to Tokyo on the train…
On your way into or out of Izukyu Shimoda station, you will find some restaurants and combinis – Japanese convenience stores – (if you need to stock up for the trip back), a 100yen shop and a small variety store that sold clothing, homewares and beach gear, etc. You will find everything you need there for your days on the sand or to entertain little ones on the train ride home.
The station has a small baby soft play area as well to use while you wait.
I highly recommend putting Shimoda on your list of places to visit outside of Tokyo. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Sarah is a Dietitian from Canada.
She has been living in Tokyo with her husband, two small children and now a new baby for 5 years.
